Clutch



Sept. 16, 1930. c, SCHENCK 1,775,832

CLUTCH Filed Oct. 25, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 m F z III I 1' II gmntow 0 .4 x :4 2; Charla; Safizne/Z;

Sept. 16, 1930. c, SCHENCK 1,775,832

' CLUTCH Filed Oct. 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 p 16, c. SCHENCK 5,

CLUTCH Filed Oct. 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVENTOR Patented Sept. 16, 1930 I UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE CHARLES SCHENCK, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 IBE THLEHEM STEEL COMPANY CLUTCH Application filed October 25, 1928.

My invention relates to clutches and particularly to the type which is automatic in operation.

In connection with the problem of transmitting power from an auxiliary engine or motor, for example, the application of auxiliary engines to tender trucks of locomotives, it has heretofore been the practice of using a train of gears to secure operative relations between the auxiliary engine and the axle of the tender truck which could be entrained and disentrained by the employment of an idler gear which could be moved into and out of mesh with a gear mounted on one of the axles of the tender truck.

* tween an auxiliary engine or a motorand a driven shaft solely by the turning over of said engine or motor.

Another object of my invention is the provision of novel and'simple means adapted to coact with a railway vehicle propulsion unit to automatically cause the latter to be operatively connected to a driven axle of such vehicle during the initial operation of said unit;

vide a driving connection between an auxiliary propulsion unit and a driven axle of a railway vehicle which is adapted to be rendered effective by the turning over of said unit in a predetermined direction and which isrendered ineffective when the speed of the driven axle exceeds the relative speed of the propulsion unit, or when the direction of the driven axle is reversed.

Broadly stated my invention comprises a driving shaft to which is fixedly mounted a driving gear,a driven shaft or axle having a driven gear loosely mounted thereon and constantly meshing. with the driving gear, said driven shaft being capable of rotating in either direction independently of the driven gear, a clutch for operatively connecting the driven gear to the driven shaft when the driving shaft is rotated in a predetermined direction at a speed in'excess of the Another object of my invention is to pro Serial No. 314,863.

relative speed of the driven shaft, the clutch being so arranged that the driven shaft is incapable of driving the driven gear when the speed of the driven shaft exceeds the relative speed of the driving gear; and friction means for preventing the rotation of the driven gear in a direction opposite to its predetermined direction upon reversal of the driven shaft.

Other novel features will be more fully understood from the following description and the claims taken with the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of my invention. '65

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line el4; of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section through an auxiliary locomotive embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawings more in detail 10 designates generally an auxiliary locomotive propulsion unit, the frame 11 of which is mounted on the load bearing axles 12 and 13 of arailway vehicle, preferably the locomotive tender. The engine 14: is supplied with steam from the locomotive boiler and drives the crank shaft 15 which is mounted in suitable bearings 16 and 17 upon the frame 11.

The aforementioned crank shaft 15 is provided with a driving toothed gear 18 and the axle 13 is provided with a hub 19 keyed thereto and upon which is loosely mounted a driven toothed gear 20, the driven and driving gears being in constant mesh with each other. i

The gear 20 is provided with inclined recesses 21 within which are mounted clutch rollers 22, these recesses being so formed that when the rollers 22 are in the position shown in the drawing they will float freely within said recesses and the axle 13 will be able to rotate freely within the gears 23 and 24. hen the gear 20 is rotated in the direction of they arrow, the clutch rollers 22 will be 7 moved into the inclined portion of the remounted. V Spacing rings 26 and 27 are loosely.

, gears 20, 23 and 24 in their proper position and also serve to retain the rollers 22 withrangement for automatically obtaining a mounted on the hub 19 ancl'serve-to-retain the:

in the apertures of gears23 and 24,

Meshing with the gears 23and 2st 4 re gears; 29 and 30, respectively, Which are fixedly" .mountedonithe shaft-31,- A frictionwheel 82 is alsofixedly mounted onishaf-t 31, The fric- I tion wheel 32 .is provided. with an annular peripheral groove 133,,which' is .Vi-shaped in section-and which iscapable of being. engaged by the V-shaped, eccentric, friction dog34.

Thisdog ispivotally mounted upontheshaft and is retained in contact'witlr the friction 32 and the dog 341- isisuflicient-.to-.preventithe Wheel by the spring 36. The eccentriedog .34: is so: mounted'thatit will allow thetfriction wheel 32 torotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, butwhen the-friction wheel is rotated in the opposite directionthe eccentricdog 34L will-be rockedfabont its-pivot until the wedging effect between the wheel wheel 32 from further rotation. Asitheagears .29 and 30 are-mounted infiXed'relat'ion on the 7 thenarrow portion. ofthe inclined. recesses ing connection-between the driving gear "18 I and'thedriven'axle 13.

same shaft as the friction Wheel 32', and. the

gears 23 a'nd24 areinmesh with gears 29"an'd V 30, respectively, it will be impossible tozdrive the latter .g'earsin but.onedirectiono" V In operation, assuming thattheimechanism is in the. positionishownvin Figs. '1 andf6 of they drawings and. the driving gear His 10- tated in the direction indicatedby' the'arro-w,

the-driven gear 2O will initially rotate around the. hub 191 Puntil the:clutch:rollers1 enter 21 sufficiently. to establish? clutching Ieifect a between the ge'ar 20 and'the hub 19 whiclris keyedfto the, axle 13, thus establishing a driv- This drivingconnection is maintained as long as power issupplied to theax'lela from the driving'gearJS. However, should the power to'the auxiliary'locomotive be shutoff M or shc iuld'th'e speed-of the aXle13 exceed the relative speedofthe gear'18, the rollers 22 will be returned to the enlarged portion of the rec'esses2l. of thegear 20 and thereforefwill I break the 1 driving connection between the gear20and the axle 13. I

When theaxle 13' is turned in the reverse directio m due to the-reversal of thellfnai n locomotive, the ,hub. 19;, which iskeyea to the axle 13, will ten'd to move the rollers 22am engagement withv the inclined portion .of the 1 versed direction. v

recesses 21, but as these rollers are pivoted in'the gears 23 and 24 which are in mesh with gears 29 and 30 respectively and as these gears are held against rotation in'a reverse direction due to the friction wheel 32 being held againstrotation by the dog 34am rollers 22 willfbe. drawn into the enlarged-portion of the recesses2l and therefore the axle 1 3 will be able'to rotate within the gear 20 without establishing" a driving-connectiontherewith.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have devised a noveland simple clutch ardriving connection, between an auxiliary propulsion unit and an axle normally disconnectsusceptibleof:vvariouss'otheri'changesf and a modifications; without departing front: the

spirit thereof, and I desire;,--,therefore;,= that only such limitations fshalli beapl-aeed thereupon as QELI'B; imposed; by: the; prior; art 01338 are specifically set forth in athe appended claims 7 7 Having thus LetterssPatent isa 1.3111. an; auxiliary propulsion unit; the

necting said driven gearrwith;rsaid axleiiand 2. In; an auxiliary propulsioniunit, the com-bination, of? an 1 engine having; a: drive shaftga driving gear Vfixedliv mounted on ysaid describedmyinvention wlrat, what I claim ;as new and; desire tor secure by combination of a -drivingi;gea r,' a1 drivenugear' constantly; meshing :1 with-said; driving. gear, an =axle,; av rollerwclutch forgoperativelyyconautomatic; controlling; inea-n sgl, comprising j backgearin'gifor-releasingsaidqclutch; 7 V r shaft; an. axle, adriverr gearlooselymounted V on said axle, a roller clutch for operatively connecting said driven gear; to. said: axle to rotate said axle FlIl a:, predeterm1ned: direction tive upon. thesrotation :of said? axlegm aire- 3; In combinati in'g mechanism a' normally "-idle.shaft,1ia drivaXle, adriven gear looselyi mounted on said ithma istrate. 1

and means :for rendering,- said zclntchfineffecp inggear 'fixedly mounted" on' said slra-ftg an I adaptedit o; connect the'idriven I aforementioned axle, g and controlling mea11S i for. the clutch rollers adapted to automjatically disconnect the.didvengear from'the rive t axle upon the attempt-ofthe axle to driven gear in-either direction. 7

.4. In an:auxiliary;locomotive-propulsion unit, the combination ofiaidriveshaft, a .driving gear operatively connected to said shaft. an axle, a driven gear loosely mounted on said axle and constantly meshing with said driving gear, a roller clutch for operatively connecting the driven gear to said axle to drive the axle in a predetermined direction and means for automatically rendering said clutch ineffective when the speed of the axle exceeds the speed of the driven gear or when the axle is rotated in a reversed direction.

5. In an auxiliary propulsion unit, the combination of a driving gear, a driven gear constantly meshing with said driving gear, an axle, a clutch for operatively connecting said driven gear with said axle, said clutch comprising rollers extending through inclined recesses in the driven gear and terminating in gearing at either side of the driven gear and means operatively connected with said gearing for rendering said clutch ineffective.

6. In an auxiliary propulsion unit, the combination of a driving gear, a driven gear constantly meshing with said driving gear, an axle, a clutch for operatively connecting said driven gear with said axle, said clutch comprising rollers extending through inclined recesses in the driven gear and terminating in gearing at either side of the driven gear and controlling means for said clutch comprising a shaft, a pair of gears mounted on said shaft and constantly meshing with the aforementioned gearing, a friction wheel and an eccentric dog engaging said wheel.

In an auxiliary propulsion unit, a driving shaft, a driving gear fixedly mounted on said shaft, a driven shaft, a driven gear loosely mounted thereon and constantly meshing with the driving gear, said driven shaft being capable of rotating in either direction independently of the driven gear, a clutch for operatively connecting the driven gear to the driven shaft when the driving shaft is rotated in a predetermined direction and means for releasing the clutch upon the attempt of the driven shaft to drive the driven gear.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES SOHENOK. 

